


Freefall's Report

by Revharem



Category: Original Work
Genre: Original Character(s), Original Fiction
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:02:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25974112
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Revharem/pseuds/Revharem
Summary: This is a continuation of "Short Works from before I was an Author." and has elements tied to "Ghosts" from the aforementioned work. The difference is the chapters herein are related to each other to make a story that follows an orphan teen who is traveling and just trying to make it through her cursed life.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Introducing our MC and a side character that is just too adorable.

One would think that flying over a bustling town in broad daylight was the dumbest thing I could do. After all, how many people have a 36 foot wingspan of awesome jet black and cloud white ruffling feathers and a five foot flexible tail to boot? What one wouldn't think of, is the amount of time people spend actually looking up. Surprisingly, it is not that much but people also sometimes forget to look forward. So, while flying quietly overhead in broad daylight can still be discreet, crashing into a large tree, shrieking with surprise and falling 20 feet to the ground is definitely not. Just so happens, that is exactly what I did. Wings, when working in the air are beautiful, useful limbs full of power and a tail is great for practiced and planned landings. On the ground is a whole other story. With wings the size of mine, crash landing and getting back up quickly is near impossible and running away from a crowd of insatiably curious people is definitely out of the question. If I could just get my wings to fold and compress into my back and wrap my tail around my waist, the people would almost certainly overlook me. Doing that in under a minute left a feeling of apprehension tight in my chest. Flicking my wings carefully open and trying not to trip over my tail I started to fold them in and embarked on a slow, careful climb up the tree that had caused this mess. If I was able to climb high enough, I could hide, and if I was still on this adrenaline high I just might tempt fate and hang by my tail and in a brazen way, tempt fate to hear what the people said. Unfortunately, one of the children happened to be closer than the rest of the group and I had not noticed her. As I grabbed the next branch to pull myself even higher and more out of sight, it snapped and I had the painful luxury of meeting the earth and getting careened into by the young child. So much for not being seen. The sudden stop that both of us came to left us staring at each other. Then she did something I had never anticipated.

She asked, “What were you doing in the tree?” and blinked at me.

I just sat there and blinked owlishly back. All I could think of is that the child did not seem to care that had I just fallen or that there was a lot of people coming this way. They should have been here by now. As I listened, I realized I could no longer hear them. I looked at the child and asked, “Where did all the people go?”

Obstinately she said, “I'll tell you if you answer my question. Why were you in the tree?”

Seeing no harm in answering and now over my shock of the strangeness of the child, I told her I had been trying to hide in the tree from the people. Inadvertently, I flicked my tail. Of course, the girl noticed.

She gasped, then smiled and exclaimed, “You're Different too!”

“No, I'm not.” I argued even as I sat dazzled by the child. Each of her teeth had a small piece of sapphire in it.

Sensing the curiosity of my stare, she stopped smiling so widely but I kept staring at her. I had never met another Different and thought I was the only one.

Out of the blue the girl said, “They went back.”

“What?” I asked, snapping out of my daze.

“You asked where the people went. I made them go back.”

The way she answered made her sound uncanny. Not like the child she appeared, but older or more experienced with the world. Smiling, I asked her if she liked to fly. She smiled and spread indigo wings with pink speckles. This is how I met Nida, now the adopted child of Freefall, me.


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Continuing on our journey...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh, okay, so that cute little girl? Yeah...expect tears my fair readers. 
> 
> Also, reminder, I wrote this forever ago, so there may be errors and the writing style is likely a lot different from my fandom fics that I typically post.

Okay, I'll admit it, I have run into way too many trees in my day and Nida just happened to be the reward for one of those run-ins. She was very pretty and very young to be on the road, but with this movement against Differents, a lot of young people were on the road. Or in our case, in the air. I felt no remorse taking in Nida but I never realized how much a child chattered or how observant they could be. When we were flying over a particularly quiet town it took all I had to stop or quiet her unremitting monologue. Tonight, after the sun went down we would be settling for some sleep at a place I would only allude to on off comments to her so as to keep her in suspense and hopefully keep the questions and admiration at bay for a little bit longer. This would be our first time spending the night together, I had just collected her early in the morning. She had saved me from discovery by a mob of humans after I forgot to look forward and was looking down enjoying being ignored. I ran into a tree and fell screeching to the ground and could not fold my wings fast enough. The girl apparently had mind control and told them it was nothing and did so without them even noticing that they had seen it and that a child was speaking into their minds. It seemed very strange to me. I could read minds, sure, but I never controlled someone by taking over their free will. It just made the rumors they said about us be true of me and I didn't want to follow their loathsome stereotypes. Yawning at 15,000 feet is something I don't do often but I was tired and was waiting for the observation deck at the Grand Canyon to clear. Then I would dive and Nida would invariably follow. I needed to land and get into a cave without echoes before my time was up. I had not yet told Nida but an hour before dusk I changed shape quite painfully, cried out very loudly, and turned to stone for the rest of the hour. The change took all of a minute, if that, but the changes were far from small. Skin color changed, my face changed as it portrayed the pain that I was forced to go through every evening. My face was not the only thing that changed, but my whole body looked different. I gained nearly 2 feet of height and my already long wings were joined by all my other pairs (that’s right, I have multiple) and folded into one, making them tougher. The painful part of this procedure was not so much the extreme growth but having all my wings forced out at the same time to fold into one longer pair. It caused a lot of them to be pulled out of their sockets. Not comfortable in the least. Just now as I looked down I saw the deck was clear and folded my wings, dropping out of my circling pattern. Hearing the indignant 'Hey' behind me told me that Nida had noticed and the not so silent whistle of wind though her wings told me that she was following. I needed to find a cave fast, I could already feel tremor rippling through my back. Along with this I could feel a heavy sense of exhaustion closing in on me. As it turns out I timed my drop right but the people inside had decided to come out earlier than the other groups had so they saw me and Nida go whipping past. Opening up my wings slightly to guide my body around and into a cave about 50 feet under the observation deck, I knew that I didn't have much time left and that I had hit gold. The cave had a smaller cave leading off of the main cave and a stone somebody could move over the entrance to keep sound from leaving it. The set up was too perfect but I needed what it offered. Looking over my shoulder as Nida came rolling in, totally messing up her landing, I asked her, "Would you be able to move that stone in front of that cave once I go in. You don't want to be near me in 5 minutes." There was fear in her eyes and I read that she was afraid I was trying to abandon her. I quickly reassured her and moved into the offshoot cave. Hearing the grinding of stone I saw it start to fall into place. I never got to see it land as the blinding pain ripped through me and left me blind. When I awoke I had to adjust to my dark surroundings and found that there was in fact some light from above. Those above must have had a nasty scare if they heard me. I have heard from people that my screams at close range, unprotected, have died. When I went up to the rock to move it I found that in the back of it was painted a screaming woman. The paint was that of the ancient tribes but the picture was clearly depicted, the woman was covered in a shroud and that left more questions than answers. I had to get out of here and make sure Nida was okay. Going to the boulder that covered the entrance I found that the handholds that would have afforded me a grip outside were completely absent on the inside. With strength that would do any gargoyle proud, as that is what I had become, I kept shoving and clawing at the stone and very slowly it gave way and broke under my attack. Now finally having a handhold I put my weight, very considerable at any time, against the resistant rock and shoved. It started moving and with no thought, I kept it rolling till it was completely out of my way. There is no proper way to describe what was before my horrified eyes. Either people had come for me and found Nida or some beast had been hiding in that other cavern. All that was left was feathers and blood spattered walls. The smell left me gagging and running for the opening without any heed. Feeling an unearthly chill in the air cover me in my mad dash I slowed. Looking more carefully ahead of me I saw an unbelievable sight. There in front of me was the woman of the painting with blood dripping from her mouth and a feather stuck in her hair. She was surreal and floated, much like the ghosts I had only read about, she stood there talking to a man and a woman with a strange creature, all of the same ghost like look. Seeming to feel my presence the lady from the painting turned to look at me. There was sorrow in her eyes but she beckoned me forward. Not knowing why, I walked forward and noticed that behind her stood a young looking confused girl. Upon looking closer I stopped with complete shock. There was Nida, white and ghostly as the rest of them. I looked to the painted girl, as I named her and asked offly, "Why is my Nida appearing as dead as you do?"

She smiled and replied, "She looks dead because she is. She released me but I could not warn her in time that staying here after my release would result in a horrible death. Having died and being buried on unhallowed ground as we were leaves us a choice to roam or move on. Most stay to roam because in the first few moments we do not even realize we are dead. Those of us who do know we are dead but stay like this couple help guide those of us like me and...you called her Nida, get to know how to move in these wispy bodies. I am long in being a ghost but for me this is just as much a time of learning as it is for your friend."

My eyes were now filled and threatened to overflow. Asking with a cracking voice, "Is there any chance that there was some mistake. It’s unfair that I get to meet her just this past morning only to lead her to her death after assuring her I would never leave her behind. She is so young to join your ranks. Whoever allows this baffles me with how they can live with themselves." Tears now streamed unchecked down my face.

The woman with the man shook her head and said with a cold disapproving voice, "Git o'er yerself girl, death comes to us all whether we be ready fer 'er or no. Yer girl is dead as I and you is 'live, go live while you can."

With those heartless words she made a motion with her arm and all five of them disappeared. Knowing that what I had seen had been no vision I moved on to the cave opening and shoved myself out and spread my wings and caught an updraft from the sun heated rock below me and rose into the sky. Angling my wings to take me to the next big city I cried all I could till I was dry and then I landed and just walked. Where I went did not matter to me. I had lost my only friend in many years. I did not trust easily and the one time I had allowed that wall to fall, a child had died. My belief in a god of Chaos was now complete, but they were not very high on my list of favorites. I wandered for days, never lifting a feather or membrane wing the whole time. I was slowly killing myself and really had no care. Finally I passed out and just collapsed. My position was all that saved me from certain death. When I passed into the void between life and death I fell down a hill to land in a heap next to the road. By now I was hardly more than an emaciated pile of bones and my clothes had long since said goodbye to me. All that was left was some long grass to cover my lower half and a breast band to cover my top. It was a truck driver that found me and just luck that he was not some perv like the stereotypes had led me to believe. It took me a total of one week to come around in his care and so he knew exactly what I was. He had no care for what the government said about us Differents. He said that what we did as people was how he would judge us, not by what we looked like or we did. Over the next couple weeks he cared for me and got me more clothes. When he had found me as he had, he knew I need help and had covered me with his flannel red shirt and a pair of way too big jeans. It was something and I was grateful. By the end of my second month in his care he had risen very high in my view and he had said that he carried much respect for me. He never asked about my past and I never interrogated him for his. I had by this time discovered though that if I was already asleep when the change took me that I could avoid my pain and deadly screams. This I found out through him as he had taken care of me when I could not wake. I had changed then and only moaned he told me one night after my screaming change had barely been muffled in his trailer while we moved. I tested his theory by trying to sleep before the change and finding myself awake just as dusk had finished and I was successfully changed and he alive. Sue, as that was his name, smiled at my happy laughter and handed me a can of jerky that he kept on the dash. Calming down but still smiling uncontrollably I took it and had a piece. Our next stop was in a small town with a university. While he unloaded the pallets of whatever I went across the road to the gas station to buy myself an orange Fanta and noticed a missing persons sign. In the picture was no other than Nida. Shaking my head, tears already breaking free and coursing down my face I took down the sign and went inside. I showed the picture to the lady at the counter and told her of the fate of the girl. Even though I was broken by my own tale, it was easy to tell. I could tell the cashier was broken too.

She looked up at me and said, "I thank you for telling me the fate of my only child. I do not blame you for her passing. What is it that I can get you though? I feel you did not come only to tell me this story." Coloring her voice was a hint of firmness. She was trying to hide her feelings behind bravado.

Forcing a smile, I said, "Ay, I was hoping for a Fanta, if I could find it."

Back in her element, she showed me the drinks section in the back and with a pointed attitude she showed me exactly where the soda was. I smiled and knew that peace had been made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry! I cried too!


	3. Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So things get weird in this chapter. I didn't like it and it was rushed. I threw in magic, which doesn't fit the story at all. Sorry about that. May take it out, but probably won't May just do a different Part 3 down the road if I ever do write more for this fiction. (Forgot while typing this that there actually is a Part 4, whoops, heheh)

Okay, so we all know where we left off last time, I told a woman her child was dead and she gave me a Fanta. My recent companion was a truck driver who had brought me back from the brink of death and so far had not asked for anything in return. He had also helped me learn a few interesting things about myself. I was near death because my best friend had been killed by a curse placed a long time ago and a specter had left nothing of her but feathers and a blood smear. That was in the Grand Canyon. A basic sum up of my last report, not to mention I have told none of the canyon story to my new companion and I am not human. I think both are important and you shall know why soon... I think.

As I leave the station I near run into Sue, my companion. In his eyes was fear, the kind of fear one feels just after they have witnessed something really bad. Backing away from me he whispered, “You're a deathling, aren't you? All who grow close and comfortable with you end up dying. I am not sure I want to keep you with me anymore but I don't know if it is safe to leave you behind. Stay here while I go get a Cola, will ya.”

“Sure.” I said. His words had freaked me out a little, I didn't hear much from people on what they thought about us but obviously he had heard something that I had not and he thought it might apply to me. He may be right, it wouldn't be the first time but something told me it may be the last. Five minutes later he came out of the store and first thing he did was look for me. If it were possible the look on his face was even more panicked and fearful than before. “I'm still here like I said, now can I ask you a question? Nothing that I think will be life altering to you I believe.”

“Truck first, once we're moving then you can ask. I'm a little freaked now and need a minute or two. You can wait right?” He glanced at me quickly.

“I think so. I don't plan on running off if that is what you mean. I enjoy company and unless you tell me you don't want me around or to get lost I'll stick with you and give it a week or two I may even be able to help earn my food in work with you. You're easy to talk to.”  
He nodded and started walking back toward the truck. I of course followed. I started to climb in when he put a hand on my arm, startling me. It is only because I had been off guard for so long that I didn't swing and that right now was a good thing. Instead I just spun my head. Lifting my eyebrows in obvious question he said, “You are a deathling, aren't you? That is why you were trying to kill yourself when I found you and why you go through so much pain at night. To repay for the lives you have taken and will take.”

Taking a breath I told him, “I was going to ask you a question, remember? I was going to ask you what a deathling was.” I looked into his eyes so he would know I was not kidding.

“Okay” he sighed, “I didn't realize you didn't know. A deathling would be a person who is usually very charismatic and kind hearted unfortunately and anybody who falls in with them usually ends up dying in a very nasty way. It is like a trait or gene, there is no known way to get rid of it either. You see why I may be wary of you. I have found myself almost considering you as my daughter and that would be very close indeed. It is also said that it is dangerous to let them leave you once you get close or your death may be worse but later.” He was looking down at his feet as if embarrassed but managed not to come off accusatory.

Shaking my head, I just continued to hang off the door trying to absorb this terrifying but applicable theory. Finally I raised my head and looked at him. “Never heard of your theory but it could very well be true. Am I staying or going?”

“Get in, if I have lived so far I'll keep on living. It is just an old wives tale anyway.”  
Nodding but still thinking I got in. Once I sat, I was hit with a memory flash. It was from another time I had visited a couple years ago. It was set in a period predating ours by at least two eras. Think King Arthur with magic and a little less peace. This was when my powers were still dormant. I had been sent here by somebody else, I think my mother, and had no idea what was going on. Last thing I remembered was a bright flash and a scream. The day before my da had fallen in a sinkhole near the mine he worked. Looking around and scared I headed for a building with a lot of sound coming from it with hopes of help. Just as I got to the door and was about to open it a powerful blast of something blew it up and sent three men toppling on top of me. Then an oppressive weight settled on all of us, nearly suffocating me as it shoved them down on me more. A woman shimmering in an aura of magenta mist came out scowling. One of the men on top of me sneered meanly, “Witch, press us down and crush us, you will only make us right. Women shouldn't be taught to fight, they think with their hearts.” I heard growls from the other men as the weight increased.

Fighting for breath I squeaked, “Could you let up please, I didn't do anything and can't breathe.”

Any change that physically happened was imperceptible to me but the men obviously felt something because they leapt up and fled. The only thing I noticed was the mist around the lady was gone. Shaking her head, she said “They may be right about fighting with our hearts but they don't realize that mercy comes from there as well. The barbarity of men on women never ends unless there is someone who can fight back and teach them civility. ”

“Okay, what did I just miss?” I asked myself out loud. This had to be my mother’s work that I was here, so might as well just follow along.

“Just stupid men. What I was doing was magic, so if you want, come with me and we can talk more in private.”

“And who are you? You crush me and then say you want me to come with you to who knows what kind of hovel or place if it is anything like this area? I don't know about that.” I said, a little sarcasm and anger rising and taking hold.

Obviously taken quite aback, she just stood there for a moment looking at me and then said, “I am the king’s second top mage and...”

“What king?” I asked.

That really threw her. “King Marceus of course. What little world do you live in that you don't know that?”

“Uh, Earth.”

“What? Never heard of it. Doesn't matter, you're in Dopane now and I am the person people come to when magic goes really awry. Now, we can try to find out your little magic problem or you can wander about down here and get hurt most likely. Your choice.”

I think it was either my mother or the strange lady that caused it but suddenly I felt very tired and ready to collapse. “I'll go with you.” I mumbled and promptly collapsed asleep. When I awoke it was night and the smell of old fish remains was in my nose. Not a comforting scent to wake up to in the least. On the good side, I was warm and didn't feel stiff at all. I stretched anyway and discovered my skin was now a deep blue and coarse, I had a tail, and I had wings. That was not comforting either. Taking a step back as if that would help me better understand my new and weird look I suddenly felt pain on my tail. Whipping around to see it better the tail moved and I saw the source of the pain. My tail had been in a pile of embers when I moved back. Something was wrong with me and that lady really needed to get back to tell me soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you think of the story? Should I continue? Should I write a different Part 3 to sub in? Should the magic stay in the story? What are your thoughts on my ancient writings? This series was written back in 2010-2013.


	4. Part 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last written installment.

The unexpected and powerful vision ended just as fast as it had started. As I started to come around I could feel the familiar rumble of the truck under me and Sue’s off key singing to a country singer named Jo Dee Messina on the radio. Slowly I started to push myself off of the bunk where I had been lying and looked around. If the view out the window was any hint, we were in the desert. The landscape was almost completely barren except for some scraggly bushes here and there. Stumbling, still somewhat incoherent, I made it to my seat in front and shoved my hands in front of the heat. I was freezing and it was not just because it was cold outside. The vision had felt real and I was not convinced that it was not, I could not remember much of my past, short of constantly running and hiding. Hearing a rattle to my left, I looked and saw that my companion had procured a jar of jerky for me again. Smiling tiredly I reached for a piece and my tired mind realized that it was dark and I was in my gargoyle form and sitting in plain view of anybody else who came down the road. 

Shaking my head I asked, “So what happened, we were talking about me being the death of all and then I wake up here. How long was I out?”

I could tell he was trying to organize his thoughts but finally he said without taking his eyes off the road, “When you passed out and collapsed I knew I would have to get you in the truck before too many people took notice. I was pretty sure you didn’t want the fact you were a Different to get out.” At this point, he smiled to himself. “As is, a pal of mine was just pulling up on that side and offered to help. At first I was afraid to accept and it took some cajoling from him to assure me that whatever it was I was trying to hide wouldn’t get out through him. When I had previously tried to lift you on my own I couldn’t believe how much more you weighed than when I first found you. I could hardly move you even an inch before he came over.” At this, Sue laughed to himself and looked to me with something in his expression that scared me a little. After he moved his gaze back to the road he continued his tale, “Now I won’t say that I am without fault and it is important you know this. Before I met you, I abhorred Differents because I did not know or understand them. You have changed my views greatly. So when my buddy comes over and tried to lift you and I yelped a quick warning to be careful without thinking I saw him lift you a good five inches off the ground before he heard me and put you down just as quickly. Feeling largely betrayed I just stood there looking at him as he crouched by you. He looked up at me with a touch of fear and a lot of curiosity and asked me if I was going to help him. I just nodded and went forward and helped him lift you into my truck and then the bunk. We left the cab and I grabbed his arm as he walked away. He turned and there was this fearsome light in his eyes, kinda like when I stopped you before you got back in. It died quickly but I had seen it and it scared me. At once I knew that he had done atrocious things but I knew from working with him that he had done good bordering on saintly things as well. I just shook my head and said to him ‘Your secret is safe with me. I know some of what she is. She has changed my look on life a great amount.’ I apologized for all the rude things I had said about Differents while we worked together and I explained a bit about you. He was happy and said that we would be able to meet in another three stops if we didn’t dally at our other stops. I told him I would talk to you when you awoke. You’ve been out for a week though and I was starting to worry. I realized that I have become quite attached to you. I know it is dangerous but I can’t help it. Without you my life would be pretty lonely I think.” At this he smiled at me again but there was sadness in it. I realized that was what had scared me before. We were becoming attached and if what he believed was true then he was in trouble and I would likely be put in the same fix as I was before. “Now enough about then. What happened to you? Should I expect to see more of it?”

With a start I realized the conversation was in my hands again. Feeling uncomfortable, I looked at my lap. I didn’t know the answer to his question but I had an idea. Sitting up I decided to propose it to him. I cleared my face so that is was flat and hoped that Sue didn’t take this the wrong way. I licked my dry lips and then began, “I was hit by a vision. I think it may have been my past. I want to try to do it again. I don’t remember my past very well and this may be a way to find out. Also this way we will not become too much more intertwined until I know if I am safe but I will still be with you in body. It’s a win win situation, don’t you think?” I needed to find out more about my past and I did want to know if I was as deadly as Sue said. Ignorance was not bliss.

“How am I winning, by the sounds of it, I am just a carrier in this scheme?”

Realizing I would have to explain a bit I said, “Yours will be the first and last face I see and you can still talk to me even if I can’t hear you. Also, you said that you may die if you leave me so I have to stay with you. I don’t want to see you die as I saw that woman in my vision die or that young girl.” I was feeling confident and refused to be beaten because he got lonely.

“You can’t do that to me. You were like a corpse all week and now you want to do that on purpose! You leave like that and you will prove my beliefs true. If you do this you will sentence me to death from depression.” There was fear and longing in his voice as he argued for me to stay.

Suddenly there was a loud thump and the sound of glass shattering. Something had hit the windshield and broken it. Looking around I saw that the glass had not touched Sue or me but the cloth covering the inside of the cab and the bunks was all mangled. I looked for the cause but all I found was a board. “Where did this come from?”

“How am I alive?” Asked Sue.

I promptly ignored him and got out of the truck which had stopped when we had been hit. Looking around I saw a man stand a little way down the road all clothed in black riding in a small, blurry, black skiff. He had tried to kill my companion. I knew this and he waved at me and disappeared. I had a happy little death wraith following me. Maybe I wasn’t cursed after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end makes me laugh, but seriously, does anybody want to actually see more of this? I'm not sure if I should continue it or not.


End file.
